BEACON OF FREEDOM

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9625, 3 April 1917, Page 7

BEACON OF FREEDOM

BRITAIN’S WORLD RULE HOPE OF OPPRESSED: DESPAIR OF OPPRESSOR. LONDON, January 27. Great Britain is becoming more and more tlu* hope of the oppressed and the despair of the oppressor. Great Britain is to them like a great tower in the deep. The Prussian menace was a running mortgage detracting from, the value of our national security. In the armories of Europe every weapon will be a sword oi peaceIn the government of men every army will be a constabulary of peace. These were some of the very striking passages in the hue. speech delivered by the Prime Minister in the Guildhall last week, and if ever a nation had a high call to hud tiie money for a worthy crusade, they surely found it rh the moving speech of the Prime Mimstei, and in the forceful statement of the objects of the war, to ba found m the Allies' answer to President Wilson. A GREAT SPEECH.

“The German Emperor a few days ago sent a message to his people that the Allies had rejected his peace oners. He did so in order to drug those whom he can no longer dragoon/' said hr Lioyd George. "Where are those offers? We have asked for them; ire have never seen them. Wo were not offered terms. We were offered a trap, baited with fair words. They tempted us once, but the Lion has his eyes open now. We have, rejected no terms that we have ever seen. Of course it would suit them to have a peace at the present moment on their own terms. We all want peace, but when we get it it must be a real Pe "Ths Allied Powers, separately and in counsel together have come to the same conclusion. Knowing well what war means, knowing especially want this war means in suffering, in burden, in horror, they have still decided-that even war. -is better than peace at the Prussian price of domination over Europe, (l/ouci cheers.) Wo have made that clear in our reply to Germany; we make it still clearer in our reply to the United States of America. • “Before we attempt to rebuild the Temple of Peace wt must see that the foundations are solid. They were bull upon, tho shifting sands of Pnissiau fnitb. Henceforth, when the time for rebuilding comes, it must he on the rock ot vindicated justice. (Loud cheers/) A BUSINESS-LIKE CONFERENCE. “X have just returned from a Council of War of the four great Allied countries upon whose shoulders most ot tiie burden of this terrible war falls. 1 cannot give you the conclusions. . There might be useful information m them for the enemy. There were no delusions as to the magnitude of our task; neither were there any doubts about the result. I think I can say what was the foehns of every man there. It was one of the most business-like conferences I ever attended. We faced the wholesituation, probed it thoroughly, 1 looked difficulties in the face—and made axraaißement,s to deal with them.‘.(.Laughter and cheers.) And we separated, feeling more confident than ever. DEFEAT IMPOSSIBLE. "All fait that if victory were difficult, defeat was impossible. "There was. mo flinching, no wavering, no faint-heartedness, no infirmity of purpose. There was a grim resolution at all costs that we must achieve the high aim, with. which. we accepted Urn challenge of the Prussian military caste and rid Europe and the world .for ever of its menace. No country could have refused that challenge without, loss ot honour. No one could have rejected it without impairing national security. No one could have failed to take it up without forfeiting something that is.oi greater value to every free npd self-respecting nation than life itself. . ■ "These nations did not enter into the war light-heartedly. They did mot embark jipon this enterprise without knowing what it really meant. They were not induced by the prospect of an early victory. WHY?

“Whv did they do it? I have passed through hundreds of miles of the beautiful lands of Franco and Italy, and as I did so I asked myself this question—- “ Why did the peasants leave by the myriad these sunny vineyards and cornlands in France; why did they quit these, enchanting valleys, with their comfort, their security, their calm, in Italy, in order to face the dreary and vyild horrors of the battlefield? They did it for. one purpose, and one purpose only. “Thev were not driven to tho slaughter hy' kings. These are great democratic countries. No Government- could--last twenty-four -hours that had forced, them, into an abhorrent war. - ’Of.’ their own free will they embarked upon it because they knew a fundamental issue had been raised which no country could shirk’ without imperilling all tnat has been won in the centuries of the past and all that remains to be won in the ages of tho future. That is why as the war proceeds’and the German purpose becomes more manifest, tho conviction has become the deeper in the minds of these people that they must work their way through to victors’ in order to save Europe from an Unspeakable despotism, and that was the spirit which animated the Allied conference in Rome.

“Bat I tell you one thing' that struck me, and strikes me more and more each time I attend these conferences and visit the Continent; the increased extent to which the Allied peoples are looking to Great Britain. They are trusting her rugged strength and great resources more and more. She is to them like a great tower in tho deep. She is becoming more and more the hope of the oppressed and the despair of the oppressor. !

"And I feel more and more confident that wo shall not fail the people vho put their trust in us. When that arrogant Prussian caste flung the signature of Great Britain, into the waste paper basket, as if it were of no account they know not the pride of the land they were treating with such disdain. They know it now. BENEFITS DUE TO THE WAR. "Have you been watching what is going on? Before the war we had a good many shortcomings in our business, our commerce, and our industry. The war is setting that right in a most marvellous way. Ask great business men like. my friend Lord Pirrie, whom I -see in the corner, what is going on in the factories throughout Great Britain and Ireland—old machinery scrapped.

the newest, best and latest set up, slipshod and wasteful methods cast aside, hampering customs discontinued, millions brought into the labour market as producers who were, purely Consumers. ‘‘l do not know what the National Debt Will be at the fend of this war, but I predict that, whatever it is, that which is added ih real assets to the riches of the nation will be infinitely greater than any debt that we shall ever incur.

“The resources of the nation in every direction will be developed, directed and perfected. The nation itself, disciplined, braced up. quickened, will become more capable. We have thrown oS the useless tissue. \V« are a nation that has been taking exercise. We are a different people. “I will tell you another difference.

“The Prussian menace was a running 'mortgage which detracted > from th* value of our national security. • “Hobody knew what it meant. We know pretty well now. You could not tell whether it meant scores of millions, hundreds pi millions, or thousands of millions. You could not tell that it would not mean ruin. The mortgage will be cleared off for ever. So you will have a sounder and safer security at a better rate Of interest. When this war is over tho world, will be able to attend to its business in peace. There will be no wars and rumours of wars to disturb and distract. We can build up, we can reconstruct, wo can till and cultivate and enrich, and the. burden and terror and waste of war will have gone. “Tho best security foi peace will bo that nations will band themselves together to punish the first peace breaker. In the armories of Europe every weapon will be a sword of peace. In tho government of men every army will be a constabulary of peace. . “There were men who hoped to set this achieved by ways of peace. We were disappointed. It was ordained that ye should not reach that golden era except along a path paved with gold, yea, and cemented with valiant blood. There arc myriads who have given the latter. There are myriads more ready for the sacrifice if their country needs it. It is for ns to contribute the former. , “Let no man and no woman in this crisis of their nation's fate fail through indolence, greed, avarice or selfishness. If thev do their part, then, when the time comes for the triumphal march through the darkness and the terror of the night into the bright dawn of the new age, they will each feel that they have done their share.”